Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has completed 90% of a 1,500-metre bridge linking Sheikh Zayed Road directly to Dubai Harbour, with the first traffic lanes set to open this month.
The bridge, built in partnership with Shamal Holding, carries two lanes in each direction and runs from the fifth interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road near the American University in Dubai, passing through the Al Nasseem and Al Falak street junction and crossing over the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Road intersection before reaching Dubai Harbour Street. Total capacity is 6,000 vehicles per hour in both directions. Once open, the RTA says travel time to Dubai Harbour will fall from 12 minutes to 3 minutes.
The opening is being phased. Traffic from Sheikh Zayed Road towards Dubai Harbour, from both the Deira and Jebel Ali directions, is scheduled to open in June. Flows from Dubai Harbour towards Al Nasseem Street, as well as movements towards the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Al Nasseem intersection, will follow in July.
The project has logged more than 4 million working hours since construction began, with 1,400 engineers and workers across 12 teams. Materials used include more than 45,000 cubic metres of concrete and 8,273 tonnes of steel. The RTA said all professional safety benchmarks have been met. The scope also includes surface improvements at four key intersections along the bridge corridor.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, described the project as a model for public-private collaboration. “The project is a model for partnership between the public and private sectors and integration between road projects and urban development, through cooperation with Shamal Holding, contributing to sustainable traffic solutions that support easy access to Dubai Harbour,” he said.
Abdullah bin Habtoor, CEO of Shamal Holding, said the bridge would be central to Dubai Harbour’s continued growth. “Enhancing connectivity is a fundamental pillar of building distinguished destinations, and this project will play a central role in supporting Dubai Harbour’s continuous growth as one of the most prominent coastal maritime neighbourhoods in the region,” he said.
Dubai Harbour sits between Bluewaters Island and Palm Jumeirah, near Burj Al Arab, and houses what is described as the largest marina in the Middle East. A 1.5-kilometre development currently under construction on the site will include 24 residential towers and around 7,500 apartments.
